Government Briefs 07.21.11

East Hampton Town

License Hearing Rescheduled

    A hearing on proposed amendments to East Hampton Town’s home improvement contractors licensing requirements that had been scheduled for tonight has been canceled. It will be rescheduled for another date.

    A public notice for the hearing was faulty, Town Councilwoman Theresa Quigley said, and in addition, East Hampton Village, which had adopted a contractor licensing law that mirrored the town’s, had asked for time to review the proposal.

    The amendment under discussion would extend a requirement to obtain a $100 license to do business in the town to anyone doing paid work at a residence, eliminating exemptions for those doing “grounds maintenance” or gardening, simple repair or maintenance jobs, and those earning less that $500 for a job. Proof of liability insurance and other business requirements would be needed to obtain a license.

    The proposed change would also eliminate a requirement for licensees to attend at least five hours of continuing education classes yearly, limiting that provision only to first-time license applicants.

Lighting Code Changes

    Councilwoman Theresa Quigley said Tuesday that she would be distributing some proposed changes to the town outdoor lighting code to her colleagues, after working for some months now with members of the Planning Department and a lighting expert as a consultant.

    In 2010, the town board hashed over the 2006 smart lighting or “dark skies” law that is on the books, after hearing from business owners that complying with it, as would have been required by October of last year, would be onerous.

    After much discussion and several contentious hearings at which advocates and detractors made their arguments, the board decided to extend the compliance deadline through the end of this year, in order to have more time to consider revisions.